Start, Red Bull Ring, 2019

Five races, three spaces: Which rounds should stay on the 2020 F1 calendar?

Debates and Polls

Posted on

| Written by

With two new rounds already set to appear on the 2020 F1 calendar, two races will have to go if the championship is going to remain at its current 21 events.

There are five races on this year’s schedule which are yet to be confirmed for next year. Rumours vary as to with of these will welcome Formula 1 back again next year.

So which rounds would you like to see keep their places?

Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya

As well as being the home of Spain’s round of the world championship since 1991, the Circuit de Catalunya has also become F1’s exclusive pre-season testing location in recent seasons.

But as local hero Fernando Alonso first dropped out of championship-contending teams, then left the sport entirely, crowds have visibly dwindled at the track. Notwithstanding the increasingly impressive efforts of Carlos Sainz Jnr, who is signed to a multi-year deal at McLaren.

While the circuit president Vicence Aguilera ha told RaceFans this year he is very confident of keeping the race, there is a clear danger this country which held two grands prix per season as recently as 2012 will have none at all next year.

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

British Grand Prix, Silverstone

Start, Silverstone, 2018
Silverstone held F1’s first grand prix
Speculation that Silverstone could lose its round of the world championship was a running theme of grand prix seasons for may years. However its future appeared to be secured for the long-term in 2009 when, in the wake of a disastrous bid by Donington Park to lure the race away, the British racing Drivers’ Club inked a 17-year deal with Bernie Ecclestone.

However the deal contained Ecclestone’s usual ‘escalator’ which bumped the race hosting fees up year-on-year. By 2017, after Liberty Media took over from Ecclestone and CVC, the BRDC was sufficiently concerned about the costs of holding the race to trigger an exit clause in its contract.

That means next Sunday’s British Grand Prix will be the last unless a new deal is signed. It’s hard to imagine the country and track which held the first ever round of the world championship being without one next year, particularly given the huge popularity of Lewis Hamilton, emerging junior talents Lando Norris and George Russell, plus the fact the majority of F1 teams are based in the UK.

But if no deal is done then F1 will have its own version of ‘Brexit’.

German Grand Prix, Hockenheimring

Like Britain, Germany is a long-established round of the world championship and one which doesn’t lack for local interest and success, thanks to Sebastian Vettel, Nico Hulkenberg and Mercedes.

But like Spain, interest in the race has noticeably dwindled since the departure of its biggest star – Michael Schumacher – and it has fallen from two rounds to one, potentially to become none.

Mercedes has stepped in to back this year’s race, but will they continue to next year? The team’s future in F1 is not guaranteed past 2020, so everything is up in the air.

Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free

Italian Grand Prix, Monza

Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, Monza, 2018
Monza is historic and uniquely fast
Not only has Italy never failed to host a round of the world championship, almost all of them have been at Monza. It also has the undeniable appeal of Ferrari to help bring the spectators in, as well as a unique and historic circuit next to a beautiful city. Could F1 bear to do with out it?

However the sport has suffered a slump in viewership in Italy. Liberty Media admitted the sport’s popularity took a hit last year when broadcasts moved from free-to-air television to a pay-TV channel. There’s a lesson for Britain’s round of the world championship there, too…

Mexican Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez

While the other four races under threat can all claim, to varying degrees, to be heritage European venues, Mexico is different. While the country has a long history of world championship F1 races, stretching back to 1963, it only recently returned to the calendar, following an absence of more than two decades.

Since its 2015 return a change of government in mexico has put the race’s future on under threat. The money currently spent on bringing F1 to town is being earmarked for an infrastructure development project.

The future of Mexico’s round of the world championship therefore rests on finding another source of funding, and the extent of Liberty Media’s desire not to lose a highly popular race in North America, a region it has indicated it is keen to expand in.

Go ad-free for just £1 per month

>> Find out more and sign up

I say

I would hate to see any of the five go. But nor do I particularly want to see the calendar go up to 23 races, which will happen if all five remain.

So out of the five I would least like to lose Britain and Italy, these being F1’s longest-running events. And while I regret how badly the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was butchered when it return to the calendar four years ago – with not a single quick corner left intact – the enormous popularity of this race in a part of the world F1 is under-represented in should earn it a reprieve.

I don’t have a bad word to say against either of the other rounds, other than that both have suffered from the effects of ‘modernisation’ in recent years, particularly the Hockenheimring. But if two have to go, and I’m afraid they probably do, then it’ll have to be those for now. However there are other races with contracts extending far further into the future which F1 could certainly stand to lose before its races in Spain and Germany.



You say

Which of these races should stay on the calendar next year? Cast your vote and have your say below.

Which of these races should stay on the 2020 F1 calendar?

  • None of the above (0%)
  • Mexican Grand Prix, Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (17%)
  • Italian Grand Prix, Monza (33%)
  • German Grand Prix, Hockenheimring (15%)
  • British Grand Prix, Silverstone (32%)
  • Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya (4%)

Total Voters: 317

Loading ... Loading ...

A RaceFans account is required in order to vote. If you do not have one, register an account here or read more about registering here. When this poll is closed the result will be displayed instead of the voting form.

Debates and polls

Browse all debates and polls

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

64 comments on “Five races, three spaces: Which rounds should stay on the 2020 F1 calendar?”

  1. Hockenheim is the only one. It always produces great racing unlike Circuit de Catalunya or Monza. Silverstone was totally ruined in 2010 and I wouldn’t miss it in the slightest if gets dropped.

    Bring back Nürburgring!

    1. I’m for Hockenheim too. Not a great venue to visit but a great track for wheel-to-wheel racing. The other two being Silverstone (great history, generally good racing) and I would like to keep Italy, but I’m not such a fan of Monza the track. Maybe move it to Imola or preferably Mugello.

      Spain and Mexico really suck layout-wise imho. But if we’re axing crappy track layouts I’d remove Abu Dhabi, Sochi, Melbourne, Zandvoort, Baku, Singapore, Monaco, and France first and bring back Malaysia, Nurburgring, Fuji, India, Turkey and the aforementioned Imola (the current layout leads to overtaking). Also, Portimao and Watkins Glen would be welcome editions.

      1. @jeffreyj You’d rather remove Baku before some other current venues, and how could you remove Zandvoort before it has even returned, LOL? I agree with you on bringing back Turkey, Malaysia, and India, and Fuji wouldn’t be too bad either, but not with Imola. Nurburgring, I don’t care too much either way, while my favored 2nd US venue would be Indianapolis rather than Watkins Glen.

        1. Because as a Dutchman I know how bad a track Zandvoort is for racing.

      2. I certainly wouldn’t remove Baku. It’s in my top 5 of circuits. 1st race was awful.
        Let’s get rid of Russia, Cataluña, Paul Ricard first.

    2. @huhhii I don’t really understand necessarily when people say Silverstone was ruined in 2010. Only a small portion of the circuit was changed, and it has actually improved the racing, as although the previous section was quicker, it would basically have been really difficult to follow in these cars.

    3. @huhhii I think Silverstone was improved massively in 2010. The racing has been a lot closer, and the way they “butchered it” was at least a calculated surgery. They replaced fast corners with fast corners. Modern Abbey is just as good as Copse. Plus the new combo of Brooklands and Luffield make the old pit straight a place to fight for position, unlike in the old days. My only complain was the way they reshaped Club.

      On the other hand, Hockenheim was turned into a mickey mouse track compared to its older self. But it does produce good racing, so I’d like it to stay too.

      Monza only for historic puposes. Last year’s race was the only good one in decades racing there. Spain and Mexico, as much as I like both venues, could well go and no one would care, I think.

      1. Disagree with you on Mexico, one of the few circuits with a large and enthousiastic crowd. Would hate to lose it.

    4. F1oSaurus (@)
      7th July 2019, 20:42

      @huhhii Agreed and surprised Hockenheim is rated so low. Probably because of tradition.

      Also, it’s a great track to go see an F1 race.

      1. @f1osaurus, I suspect that it probably comes from those who resent the decision to change the layout of Hockenheim and want it to be how they remember it, though to be honest I never got the appeal for the old circuit.

        When you look at what most people talk about when they discuss the old circuit, it is about the number of cars that broke down – the actual quality of the racing itself is rarely mentioned, mainly because the circuit strung the cars out pretty quickly and made the actual on track racing fairly non-existent. For all the nostalgia about the old Hockenheimring, few people seem to actually have that many memories of a decent race at that venue.

        Equally, very few drivers ever seemed to like that circuit either, mainly because driver skill wasn’t important – it was a venue that was entirely dominated by how good the car was, not how good the driver was, and there was very little about the circuit that really challenged or excited the drivers.

  2. I’ve voted the same as your opinion. I’ve never seen races at the proper Mexico layout, but I have enjoyed most – if not all – of the races at the current track, and that reason – combined with the passionate crowd – made it the easy choice when compared to Spain and Germany.

    Silverstone is a fun track – bumps and all – and it, like Monza, is the natural home of F1. There’s a long way to go before any other circuit can begin to threaten that status.

  3. Alternate all events, except maybe 3-5 key venues.

    The added benefit is that races become slightly less predictable due to the less recent experience by the teams on that circuit.

  4. Peppe (@turbopeppino)
    7th July 2019, 11:48

    Definitely Monza and Silverstone. Even if I think they really butchered Silverstone with that nonsense middle slow part done a few years back. But Barcelona, it won’t be a minute too soon before it gets dropped. Until they spice up the layout there it will always produce boring AF races I’m afraid. Nurburgring would be nice if it could make an appearance on the calendar sometimes too.

    1. And after a visit to the circuit de Catalunya for the race this year I’d have to say “bin it”. Old and tired facilities, pedestrian racing and still at a pretty high price. No thanks.

  5. They should combine Spain and Italy.
    Start at one, have them do 5-10 laps there, then drive all the way to the other and finish with 5-10 laps there as well.
    Now that would shake F1 things up!

    1. You do know they are 1000 kilometers apart? They’d need quite some fencing! 😉

  6. Keep British, German and Italian GPs. Lose the Mexico and Catalunya snoozefests.

    I think that’s what Liberty would think too.

  7. Silverstone might do well in this poll! I’d say that and Monza have to be there. I put my vote for Mexico as its a decent track with good racing and is a north American venue that suits the calender. Shame the government are likely to let it go. If they let the race go I’d be all in on Germany as the Spanish track has only managed 3 good races in almost 30 years. Sadly i can see us loosing Mexico, Germany due to the countrys lack of appetite or cash for a race. Expecting Silverstone to be announced once the race weekend gets underway.

  8. Circuit de Catalunya should be the first to go. Not because it is a bad track (it isn’t), but exactly because they do so much testing there. Keep it for testing, and in general make sure to do testing only on tracks not used for racing, as it completely ruins said racing when teams know the track so well.

  9. Apparently no one cares for Catalunia. The teams all test there, so you can see the cars there anyway, so out it goes. I would also ditch Hockenheim, because of what they did to it. I don’t care if produces better racing, I liked it the way it was, it had character. Mexico as a circuit sucks, but the fans are in the stands, and thats what counts, so it stays, same with Silverstone and Monza. I would like the Italian round to alternate between Monza and Mugello and Imola, that would be sweet.

  10. I wouldn’t be too sad to see Barcelona, Hockenheim and Mexico go.
    – The first one is not a very good racing venue for modern F1 machinery, and especially since they butchered the last sector with the tight hairpin and chicane, it lost most of its original flowing character.
    – While Hockenheim has offered pretty good racing, I realistically can’t see Mercedes paying for the race. And, as mentioned in the article, both suffer from post Alonso/Schumacher-mania.
    – I just hate the current Mexico track. While the atmosphere has been great, the only standout features of the track are that it is in high altitude, and that is has 15 slow corners, including a go-kart track style stadium section.

    Silverstone and Monza will probably keep their places, then again, who would have guessed that there would be no French GP for ten years, or that most (?) Tilke-creations would be out of the calendar as quickly as they arrived (Istanbul, Korea, India).

  11. Spain, Germany and UK.

  12. Looking at the site’s very own https://www.racefans.net/rate-the-race/circuit-ratings/, it seems that Silverstone should, without a shadow of a doubt, remain on the calendar. It is rated the second best circuit on the calendar, second only to COTA and the dropped Nurburgring circuit. COTA and Silverstone are the only to tracks out of those with at least 7 races without any races rated under 5.4 (Monaco had races below that in 2017 and 2018, which aren’t shown on the page for some reason.). Horribly rated races at Baku, Canada and China will only serve to exacerbate Silverstone’s high position in ratings. Once Keith updates the standings, it will show Interlagos as third best on the calendar – it’s a shame that that track’s probably getting dropped soon too.
    Looking at the other two tracks to keep, it’s closer, but Italy and Germany should stay. They are ranked 15th and 18th, while Mexico is 22nd and Spain 24th on my updated version. Mexico has only had four races to prove itself, though, and if this year’s race is good, it could go as high as 13th. If we’re going by the fewer races leniency, some should be held to Hockenheim, which has only had 6 – and if it weren’t for the scandalous 2010 race, ranked 2nd worst in RTR history, it would be in 5th. Spain has had a few good races (2012, 2016, 2017), but has many poorly rated race: 3 races (2010, 2018, 2019) are ranked below 5, more than any track other than the legendary Sochi, which also has 3 races below 5. Only 5 of the circuit’s 12 races were ranked above a 6.

    The compilation of ratings I used: https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-96095393b699c36f168eb11da17d5932

    For more modern accuracy, one could ignore pre-hybrid rankings. Again, Silverstone is clearly a keeper, ranked 3rd of 22 tracks. Hockenheim, leaving 2010 behind, is now 5th. Italy scores 6.45 in 13th, Spain scores 6.25 in 16th, and Mexico scores 6.24 in 18th – Italy, again, beats out Spain and Mexico, whose order is now swapped.

    Ranking of 2014-2019 races: https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-aad7c96e9adda1563a44b91776dceb66

    In both systems, Silverstone is proven to be great. Germany isn’t flattered by its overall score, but the hybrid era’s score certainly helps its cause. Italy, Spain and Mexico are towards the tail end of both rankings, the latter two being the clear choices to drop.

  13. pastaman (@)
    7th July 2019, 13:51

    Let’s drop Monaco

    1. +1 yes, lets.

  14. Why not have more races in the season? It’s only a good thing for the sport.

    As for which tracks need to go, Silverstone needs a real wake up call. The only reason they have trouble paying is because every time Bernie set up a commercial package for them that would make the British GP pay, the old boys at the top of the BRDC blew the money on champagne and helicopter rides instead.

    If it takes losing the GP and bankruptcy to pry Silverstone out of the BRDC’s clammy grip, it’s worth it. It’s not like Silverstone is the only option for the British Grand Prix.

    1. @Dave I beg to disagree. Everything has a limit. You can only have so many chapters in a book as Christian Horner has pointed out as a reference to this matter. There’s nothing wrong with the current number of races, so no need to increase it from the POV of any given aspect. ”If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

      1. Fans want more races. Teams want more races, because that means more income without a proportionate increase in costs. Liberty Media want more races because they’ll make more money.

        If everyone agrees something else is better, does it matter if the old way is ‘broken’ or just worse?

        1. @Dave What news reports have you been reading? Apparently, you haven’t really been reading reports concerning this matter if you think the teams ‘would be in favor’ for an increase in the number of races. Quite the opposite actually. The same more or less also applies to the ‘fans’ part as well. Still, though, again more of something isn’t automatically ‘better’ as well. Sometimes (like in this case) even the revenue/income-aspect wouldn’t justify doing something just for the sake of doing it since everything has a limit as I pointed out in my original post. Purely based on that argument, the number of races should be increased to the extent that there’d be a race on every single weekend of a year due to how much more income that’d bring, LOL. The current number of races is already ‘more than perfect’ from the POV of that aspect as well as any other, so nothing wrong with that. Furthermore, should the number of races be increased then the restrictions on PU element, and gearbox usage, etc., would have to be quite significantly eased off. The current upper penalty-free limits definitely wouldn’t work with something like 25 races, since many have struggled to stay withing team even with 20 or 21.

        2. Teams want more races, because that means more income without a proportionate increase in costs.

          Explain please how more races doesn’t mean more costs for the teams?

  15. The wise decision should be to have 22 GPs next season. British and Italian GPs are integral parts of F1. It would insane to drop any of them! Spanish GP is my third choice because it is also a sort of a classic already. If Mercedes are willing to pay for German GP then it should stay, if not then Mexico GP should stay because of a great atmosphere among Mexican fans.

  16. Levente (@leventebandi)
    7th July 2019, 14:41

    To be honest I would say goodbye to the Spanish GP easily. There is not much I can like about the track.
    From this five, Silverstone is also an easy choice for a farewell. Pre-2010 it was one of my favourite, but the redesign and the huge carparks around most of the corners killed the loveable character of the track.
    Mexico is a keeper from a standpoint that it adds the high altitude factor none other track has. I believe that the calendar has to offer differing challenges.
    Italian GP is also a keeper as it is the last (as oldschool as it can get) draftfest high speed tracks.

  17. I wouldn’t really miss the Spanish GP. But still a shame we would miss this GP an favour of Sochi and Paul Ricard.

  18. Silverstone, Monza and Mexico because it looks like the one race that ‘regular folks’ can afford to attend ?, making it an enjoyable fun media spectacle.
    @Either have Bernie walk round the track with a watering can or dump Monaco.

  19. Voted and then saw that I’d agreed with Keith’s opinion. Silverstone and Monza are unique, iconic, both with huge fan bases. Mexico likewise has a huge fan base and in my view needs to be represented over another European track. Plus its altitude makes for a different race. The track layout could be improved though (surely possible). Hockenheimring would be a loss, true, but I really can’t see how Formula 1 can lose the UK or Italian races, the twin hearts of F1 racing in terms of countries, or how it can justify dropping such a popular venue in the Americas.

  20. Couldn’t care less about the British Spanish, the 2 worst nations that destroyed about half the world with their disgusting colonisations, they have both done worse around the world over the years cumulatively than nazi germany did in ww2. So I say keep Italy, Mexico and Germany, but only for the sake of this questionnaire, all 3 have rubbish versions of their original race tracks

    1. @kpcart The politics have no place in this context, though. One shouldn’t base his view on which venues should or shouldn’t be in F1 to the politics of the host country, which have ‘nothing’ to do with F1.

    2. Nazism and European colonialism are interconnected, but I can’t see the point or value in comparing their degree of terribleness (can you rank genocides? where’s the ethics or advance in human thought in doing that?) and I can’t see the point of summarily including and excluding GPs on that basis. Your effectively promoting a nationalism, even in a negative sense, that is at the root of the genocides you’re decrying. Makes no sense.

    3. Ah yes, let’s punish the current generation for the sins of the father.

      1. If we’re going to base things on a political basis (I think we shouldn’t, by the way), what about the races held in countries with extremely poor human rights records? You know, the ones without a real F1 fan base, the vanity projects that blatantly bought into the calendar.

        1. @gardenfella72 Furthermore, if we were to base things on a political basis then at least half of the venues would have to be dropped if not almost every one of them since effectively every country in the world has something that would justify axing it if we were to be absolutely precise, LOL.

  21. I, like many others, voted for the British, Italian, and the Mexican GPs to stay.

  22. Neil (@neilosjames)
    7th July 2019, 17:48

    Voted to keep British, Italian and German, in that order of importance.

    First two are obvious picks, third was a choice between Germany and Mexico. Went for Germany because I don’t think the re-done Hockenheim circuit is too bad, and it’s produced a few half-decent races that I can recall. Whereas the only thing I like about Mexico is the crowd, and an interesting grandstand isn’t a reason to support the presence of a grand prix. Can’t stand the new layout and don’t think it’ll ever be conducive to good racing, so I picked Germany to stay.

    Catalunya is firmly in my Bottom 5 tracks, alongside Sochi, Melbourne, Abu Dhabi and Paul Ricard. I’d be absolutely delighted if it, or any of the others listed, disappeared and never came back.

  23. I would definitely keep Silverstone and Monza. Then I had to think. I went for Hockenheim as I think it provides better racing than Spain or Mexico.

    As Keith says though there are circuits, even in Europe that I would rather went before Germany or Spain. I don’t think Paul Ricard works in today’s F1.

    Others I would consider dropping are Russia which is awful and Abu Dhabi.

  24. Adam (@rocketpanda)
    7th July 2019, 18:10

    I think we could lose Spain and not miss it. German and Italian are good tracks, Mexico has promise.

    Though they’re all worth keeping over Sochi and France.

  25. Obviously Silverstone and Monza have to stay. But this whole “3 out of 5” nonsense is based on the crazy assumption that all of the other races have to be kept on the calendar.
    (1) We do not need two Grands Prix in the Gulf. Bahrain should have been cancelled years ago on human rights grounds.
    (2) We do not need both Hungary and Austria. Dump the Hungaroring.
    (3) Baku is a joke.
    (4) Going back to Zandvoort is a mistake. But if we must do it, drop Sochi.

    1. Samantha (@talcumpowder)
      8th July 2019, 7:30

      In regards to point number 1, it would be much better to drop Abu Dhabi. The UAE’s human rights record is worse than Bahrain, and Bahrain has consistently produced some of the best racing on the calendar, whereas Yas Marina is famed for being awful.

  26. It is hard to overtake on Spanish GP in Barcelona, but the other 4 race tracks are good.

  27. Mexico took one of my votes, but please, if anyone relevant is reading, remove that hideous music party at the podium cerimony, it just doesn’t fit

  28. Completely disagree about Mexico vs Hockenheim. Even with “modernisation” the Hockenheimring is twice as good as the awful, terrible, completely ruined Hermanos Rodriguez. It’s a boring, bore-fests inducing track while the German track is usually producing good racing. Yeah it’s sad for the Mexican fans but they have the Austin track just across the border in the meantime while they’re hopefully thinking about building a decent replacement

    1. @montreal95, you do realise that the distance between the Circuit of the Americas and the Autodromo Hernandez Rodriguez is approximately 1,500km? It would be like telling somebody in the UK “don’t worry, you can go and watch a race at Monza instead” – after all, those venues are “only” about 1,300km apart.

      1. @anon It’s all relative. Europeans are used to shorter distances but everything is bigger in America. 1500km is not that far , and if we accept that some of the fans that go to Mexico city are living between it and the COTA then for them it’s even closer. So yeah my argument stands. Yeah it’s sad for them but that should not be an excuse to keep that dreadful track on the calendar.

  29. I like diversity so I definitely want to keep Monza and Mexico. The old Hockenheim with the forest section was great and I think Germany needs to have a GP, but F1 needs a British GP. Just look at the huge crowd at Silverstone!

    Spain is really not my favorite and I will not miss it.

    So I guess I share your opinion

  30. I guess @keithcollantine hasn’t watched a race from Hockenheim since it “suffered with modernization” ??
    The track is vastly improved and the races are nowhere near as boring as they were under the old track. Seriously the only memorable race from the old track took a disgruntled Mercedes employee to liven it up!
    Typical rose tinted glasses that is stopping F1 from actually advancing and appealing to new fans because everyone, including Keith, is too busy reminiscing about a past that was clearly far worse than what we have now!

  31. I would like to see a Spanish GP because I believe that F! needs passionate fans.

  32. Silverstone, Hockenheim and Monza for me.

    Mexico creates a great atmosphere, but the track and the altitude just haven’t made particularly great races.

    Barcelona is a circuit I’ve never really rated, though it’s a lovely location, as I found when I visited the race in 2017.

    Silverstone and Monza are F1, we shouldn’t be even contemplating leaving, and if we do, Liberty will be seen as the guys who came in and lost two of our most prestigious events.

    Hockenheim is purely personal. I went last year and am going again next. The place is beautiful, and I could spend all day in the forest. The track has produced some good races as well.

  33. The fact that more people would rather watch a ‘race’ at Mexico than Hockenheim or Nurburgring GP shows what is wrong with F1…. Its the fans as much as the rule makers that are stuffing this once great sport & turning it into a ‘show’. Maybe we need more DRS 🙄 (yes that last one is sarcasm and yes some people need that spelled out)

    1. Good races without fans are not the way to go.
      So you need circuits with a lot of fans and a lot of atmosphere.

  34. For me they can drop Spain and Mexico in a blink of an eye, although the last 2 races at Mexico (2017 and 2018) were good ones. I dont remember the 2016 one but i do remember the first at 2015 was pretty meh.

    Too bad they cant drop Monaco, because THAT race is a waste of space in the calendar.

  35. Britain, Italy and Mexico. I think it is a “no brainer” actually.

  36. People are falling away from F1 because it is too expensive – on TV and at a circuit. Putting F1 behind ever more expensive pay walls was the stupidest idea since gifting the commercial rights to Bernie (and was a natural consequence).

    By putting on more races per season Liberty are squeezing the teams rather than the promoters and the punters, but this is a game of diminishing returns. It’s like printing money – the value of an F1 meeting declines. F1 is in crisis, but because of momentum and residual cash flow some stakeholders haven’t noticed or don’t realize it yet. Perhaps they do but are in denial.

    Behind all the smiles, the people at Liberty must be worried. John Malone is famously ruthless. He won’t keep an asset that doesn’t earn its keep. Rather than let it decline in value he’ll sell it on. That decision can’t be far away. The consequences of that for F1 could be profound.

    All of which is to say that we might end up with a pared-down F1, which might not be a bad thing. It might be that F1 has 25 races per season, but each team only attends 17 or 18 of them, drawn by lottery. This would require more teams, but if the costs were lower, this would be possible. We might even have occasional exhibition races – the old Tourist Trophies – once again.

  37. 2 of these are a no brainer – monza and silverstone have to be on the calendar purely for historical reasons. they are spectacles in their own right, even if the races might be a bit dull some years (this is more likely at monza – silverstone seems to produce some decent races). they’re also huge markets for the sport and the home races for basically every single team.

    i struggled a bit with the third choice – i went for mexico because it is building its own ‘spectacle in its own right’ kind of status. the track is so-so, but i like it because the altitude and long straight make it a bit of an outlier (the calendar desperately needs variety). hockenheim is bland and the empty seats are a really bad image for the sport (nurburgring was better in this regard and the track is superior); montmelo suffers from the same and frankly i am bored of this track – it is consistently a snore-fest.

  38. Maybe willing cities could accommodate some kind of alternating schedule.

  39. I only voted for Monza. It’s not that I want to lose Silverstone, but Monza is the only track that really brings out the romance of F1, plus watching F1 cars with skinny wings is always fun. Hockenheim and Mexico are so-so but both have horrible cart tracks at the end of the lap. Barcelona I don’t dislike as much as some, but it lacks a USP.

Comments are closed.